Data Centers Become a Midterm Issue in Brooklyn — SkimNews
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- Data Center Watch reported that almost $200 billion in data-center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026 because of political and community opposition.
- Virginia already has hundreds of new data centers planned and carries the nickname “data center capital of the world,” while Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York and Virginia are considering added guardrails and transparency.
- Newsreel hosted a Brooklyn warehouse event five days before the November 3 midterms; founder Jack Brewster said AI and data centers came up in every onstage conversation and ranked second among questions submitted with RSVPs.
- Chi Ossé, a New York City Council member, said he wanted tech executives held more accountable, billionaires taxed more, and CEOs who discuss technology that could “deplete 10% of human civilization” to testify before Congress.
- Maia Woluchem and panelist Hilary Flint joined the consensus that data centers embody public fears of the tech class and lost community control; Flint said residents still protest where build-outs bring benefits because they “value their lives a little bit more than a temporary check.”
- Batya Ungar-Sargon said some labor unions support data centers because of their promised jobs, although construction jobs end after the building phase.
- Astead Herndon said the lack of community consent also affects Republicans in Rust Belt communities, pointing to Vivek Ramaswamy being booed in Ohio after making a similar point.
Why it matters: Almost $200 billion in data-center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026, while five states considered guardrails. Developers and local officials now face an election-season accountability fight over consent, disclosure, jobs, and who captures AI’s economic benefits before November 3.
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